That Question
by Allychik6
Summary: Eclipse decided it all started with that question, that question that should have meant nothing. After all, words, once spoken vanish as if on the wind. "Have you ever been kissed?”


The Question

Eclipse decided that it all started with that question, that simple, innocent question that should have meant nothing. After all, words, once spoken vanish as if on the wind. It should have been as simple as that to strike the question from his mind and carry on with the rest of his work. But, as with many other things Raenef did and said, the question lurked in the back of his mind making concentration somewhat difficult.

Really, what should it matter if Raenef was curious about kissing? He was of an age, past the age really, when those kinds of things become prevalent in the thoughts of young people. Eclipse leaned farther back in his chair and looked blankly at the wall. Three weeks ago, Raenef had shuffled uneasily into his office (a room, Eclipse had been forced to avoid since the incident as he found his lack of concentration to be greater there). He had been carrying a letter and looking very sheepish.

"Um, Eclipse, I was just—Erutis sent me this letter a while ago and I'm little confused. She—I—uh." His voiced died somewhat suddenly, and Eclipse looked up from the reports he had been reading over too see what upset his young master so much. The reports were tribute records from the various villages under Raenef's control and required a careful reading and documentation. Leeche had also included a love letter and a note as to the number of days left until her and Raenef's upcoming nuptials. Eclipse had been trying to formulate a suitable reply, and now Raenef was stuttering in a strangely articulate fashion. It was a welcome distraction.

"Start at the beginning." Eclipse sighed, letting his irritation show.

"Well, it's Erutis." He fiddled with the letter. "A while ago she was complaining about how much Krayon was irritating her, following her around, interfering with the other mercenaries, giving her outrageous gifts."

"Yes, that does sound like Lord Krayon." Eclipse tried to be patient.

"Well, then she started saying nicer things about him." He wrinkled his forehead in confusion. "And when I asked her about it…well—" he looked down at the letter and then back up at Eclipse. "Have you ever been kissed?"

Eclipse sputtered. Of all the harebrained things he might have expected his young master to ask, that was not one of them. It delved into a topic that he had not thought he would have to discuss with Raenef. After all, shouldn't Raenef have received a through education in that area during his life with the thieves' guild? Apparently not, and now he was asking Eclipse. About kissing. Really, it had come straight from those lips. Lips that Eclipse realized he was staring at and he forced himself not to lick his own although he could do nothing about the staring. "What?" It was the only intelligent thing he could think of to say.

"It's just, when I asked her what changed her mind about him, she asked me if I'd never been kissed. And then I thought about her and Krayon and then I thought about Chris." He looked down at the floor. "And then I thought that I could just ask you."

Eclipse sort of stared half at Raenef and half into the distance. He had been kissed before, on many occasions, and all of those moments were flickering through his mind, ending with the thought of Meruhesae. It was a disconcerting moment to end with being as that kiss had been both undesirable and disturbing. "Yes, Master Raenef, I have."

Raenef nodded and left the office without another question. It was somewhat uncharacteristic, but Eclipse was simply glad he did not have to explain anything else. Maybe he did have some education from those streets he grew up on. Maybe it was all simple curiosity about Eclipse.

It was that night that he had the first dream; they were always innocent. Raenef reading in the library, sitting on a bench outside in the garden, standing in the kitchen; he would be reading, or looking at the scenery, or watching Eclipse make dinner. Simple, innocent, things that happened every day, which made the dreams all the more dangerous. Because then Eclipse would look at him, and Raenef would smile. It was that radiant smile that always made Eclipse feel like smiling back at him even though he didn't smile. But instead of smiling as he would probably do if he were awake, in these dreams Eclipse leaned forward slightly and pressed his lips to Raenef's.

He always woke feeling happy.

For three weeks he had been having those dreams. And for three weeks, Eclipse avoided answering Leeche's letter. But, if he waited too long, then Leeche would make a surprise visit, reminiscent of her first visit to Raenef's castle. It wouldn't be the first time for her to make a reappearance. So Eclipse went back into his office.

It was a repeat experience.

There he was, debating the wording of a letter to Leeche that might encourage her to find a different fiancé without offending her into making a personal appearance, when Raenef appeared in the doorway. Eclipse looked up. "May I help you, Master Raenef?"

He walked into the room and wondered about, picking up books, fingering papers. He even played with the letter opener on Eclipse's desk.

"Master Raenef, if you have a question, it would be best if you just asked it so that I may get back to work."

"What's it like?"

Immediately, Eclipse flashed back to the conversation three weeks ago. It wasn't a giant leap; it had been lurking at the back of his mind since he stepped into the office. But he rather hoped Raenef had meant working. "What is what like?" He asked somewhat hesitantly.

"Kissing." Raenef put down the letter opener and looked guilelessly up at Eclipse.

This time he couldn't help licking his lips. "I don't think I understand the question."

"Well, it's just, Erutis was telling me how nice kissing is, but she wouldn't say anything specific. And Chris told me that he wasn't allowed to have that kind of interaction with people because he was going to be the High Priest and in training. And so I thought that maybe you would tell me what it is like since you've been kissed and usually answer my questions."

"Oh." Eclipse put down the letter he had been composing. "Kissing is different with different people and in different circumstances. It is very difficult to explain what it might be like unless you had some sort of experience."

"I can help you with that!" Leeche stood in the door way dressed elegantly in a pale pink dress with a pale gold cloak. Thank goodness she had left those ridiculous ribbons behind with her childhood. "We are to be married in less than five years. It only makes sense for you to go to your fiancée for that kind of information." And with that, Leeche marched across the room and planted her lips on Raenef's. "Now do you understand?"

Eclipse was caught in something akin to shock and revulsion. And then he clamped down on those emotions. "Did you have any other questions, Master Raenef?"

Raenef looked between Leeche and Eclipse and then touched two fingers to his lips. For a single moment he stood that way, and Eclipse wanted desperately to know what he was thinking. Raenef had become slightly more introverted in the last few months, and more and more Eclipse wasn't sure what his young master was thinking. He turned without another word and left the room.

Leeche immediately turned from Raenef to Eclipse. "Why have you taken so long to answer my letter?! I need to know which Raenef would prefer at his wedding banquet, lobster or steak?!"

It took several hours for Eclipse to calm Leeche down, and then it was only a little longer until her newest caregiver showed up demanding her location. At least her father had learned where she usually went when Leeche disappeared. It meant that he and Raenef were inflicted with her presence for far shorter periods of time.

Eclipse had pointed the thankless woman in the direction of the garden, where Leeche was walking with Raenef. Actually, she had latched onto his arm and was in the process of dragging Raenef from flower to flower and screeching loudly when she saw something she didn't care for. It took several stern words from her caretaker for Leeche to release Raenef and walk sedately over to the portal. She called back at him, probably something about not looking at any other girls while she was gone, and then disappeared. Eclipse was personally very impressed with the time and few words that this caretaker had needed to removed Leeche and hoped she would stick around for a while.

Raenef cast a strange look at Eclipse and then knelt down to sniff a small flower. It was that look that caused Eclipse to question the health of his master. He quickly crossed the grass and put a hand on Raenef's forehead. "Are you feeling alright, Master?"

"When Leeche kissed me, it didn't feel like Erutis said it would." He sounded so very sad.

"What did Erutis say it should feel like?"

"She said that sometimes it makes you feel weak-kneed and light headed, sometimes it makes you feel like you're on fire, and sometimes it makes you feel warm." He looked away from the flower and back at Eclipse. "Leeche just felt like lips pressed against mine. I didn't feel anything else." His head was tilted towards Eclipse, and Eclipse couldn't help but lean down just slightly. It wasn't like any of the dreams he'd had. There was no smile, no sense of overwhelming happiness. Instead, when Eclipse brushed his lips against Raenef's, he felt relief.

Raenef closed his eyes when he saw Eclipse lean down. He leaned into that gentle brush of lips, he felt all of Eclipse's devotion, and he felt that warm tingly feeling. And after Eclipse leaned back and stood up, Raenef felt the lingering echo of those lips against his.


End file.
